Brooki in the Community
Brooki in the Community
We started as one small kitchen that a neighbourhood decided to line up outside. That is the only reason any of the rest of it happened — so supporting the communities our bakeries sit in isn't a box we just check, it's a part of who we are.
Why this matters to us
Brooki began in May 2022 in a 41 square metre kitchen on Marshall Street in Fortitude Valley. For months it was slow. The people who came in those early weeks had no reason to — there was no queue to join and nothing to post about. They just liked the cookies and wanted the little place on the corner to survive.
We now bake across Australia and the United Arab Emirates. The scale changed. The obligation didn't.
What we support
Each year we back a selection of local charitable events and community initiatives, in the cities where we have stores. In practice that usually looks like one of these:
Fundraisers and charity events
Cookies and cakes donated for raffles, auctions, morning teas, fun runs and gala nights — the things that raise money because people turn up and buy something.
School and community fundraising
Fetes, bake sales, sports club canteens and end-of-year events. Often the least glamorous requests and the ones that make the most difference locally.
Brooki visits
This one is close to our heart. As often as possible we schedule "Brooki visits" with our founder Brooke Bellamy visiting Queensland Children's Hospital for a cookie drop or Bake With Brooki baking class. We're open to other locations if you want to request a Brooki visit at a local children's hospital.
School groups and student visits
One of the best parts of this job is having students in the bakery.
We host school groups and talk them through how a business actually gets built — not the highlight reel, but the ovens, the margins, the 4am starts and the things that went wrong. Students get to see a working kitchen, ask real questions, and hear from people whose careers came out of a passion rather than a plan.
We do it because a lot of young people have never met someone who made a living out of the thing they love. If a visit to a cookie kitchen is what makes that feel possible, we will keep clearing a morning for it.
Teachers, careers advisers and youth programme coordinators: get in touch with your school, year level, group size and the dates you have in mind. On occasion Brooke can also travel to and visit your school for an in-person talk or baking class where time and travel permits.
How to ask us
Email hello@brookibakehouse.com. A real person reads every one.
Include these and you'll get a faster, better answer:
- Who you are and who benefits
- The date, and how firm it is
- The city or suburb — it helps to know which of our kitchens is closest
- Roughly how many people
- What would actually help: product to donate, something to auction, or someone to come and speak
Give us as much notice as you can.
Being honest about what we can't do
We get more requests than we can say yes to, and we would rather explain that than leave people waiting on an email that never comes.
We prioritise causes near our bakeries, because that is where we can genuinely help and where our team lives. We can't take on national campaigns, ongoing weekly commitments, or anything that needs product shipped long distances — fresh food does not survive it, and sending something that arrives stale helps nobody.
If we say no, it is almost always a question of timing or distance rather than the cause. Ask us again another time.
Community FAQs
- How do I request a donation from Brooki Bakehouse?
- Email hello@brookibakehouse.com with your cause, date, city and rough numbers. Two to three weeks' notice gives us the best chance of saying yes.
- Which areas do you support?
- The cities and suburbs where we have bakeries and kiosks — Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, plus the UAE. See all Brooki locations.
- Can our school visit the bakery?
- Yes, we host school groups. Email us with your school, year level, group size and preferred dates. Our Fortitude Valley bakery is our smallest, so group size affects which location works.
- Will Brooke speak at our event or school?
- Sometimes, depending on timing and where it is. Include the date, location and audience in your email and we'll tell you honestly whether it's possible.
- Do you sponsor sports teams or clubs?
- We support a small number of local community events each year. Get in touch and tell us what you have in mind.
- We're a business, not a charity — can you cater our event?
- Yes, that's a different thing and we'd love to. See our corporate and event catering options.
Thank you
To every school, club, ward and committee that has asked us to be part of something: thank you for thinking of us. And to the people who queued on Marshall Street before there was any reason to — all of this is still because of you.
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